While little is known about the appearance of the home in which George was born, the foundations and cellar floors uncovered during archeological excavations revealed that it was built either partially or entirely of brick. Several foundations of outbuildings were unearthed, and all were constructed of brick. So, also, all walls, cellar stairways, wine vaults, and fireplaces that have been excavated were built of brick.
The location of the new home was superb, being on a rise of ground 26 feet above Popes Creek and a little over 200 feet inland from its high western bank. To the east and northeast were pretty water views; to the north, beyond cleared fields, was Dancing Marsh, green with lush grass and swamp plants; and to the southeast, 100 yards or so away, was a little peninsula which jutted out into Popes Creek (now heavily wooded with a beautiful grove of eastern redcedar, Juniperus virginiana). To the west of the house were pastures and cleared fields, and beyond the clearings was the dense forest—a mixed stand of broadleaf trees and evergreens. A farm road ran in a northwesterly direction for a mile or so, passing by the family burying ground where rested Augustine’s father and grandfather and other early members of the family. A short distance beyond the burying ground the road came to an end at the sandy south shore of the Potomac River.
The new home must have been rather commodious for a 1762 inventory of its furnishings lists 10 bedsteads, 13 tables, 57 chairs, 8 mirrors, 8 chests, accessories for 8 fireplaces, and scores of other furnishings and household items befitting a fairly large establishment. Certainly, the house in which George was born could not have been the humble 1-story clapboard structure portrayed in 19th-century imaginative sketches by artists who probably knew little about the social and economic status of George’s father.
Though not a man of great wealth, Augustine was able to send two sons to England for schooling. Early 18th-century objects unearthed near the foundations of his Popes Creek home, offer ample proof that he imported fine quality silver, pewter, glassware, and pottery from the mother country, and could afford to have his monogram stamped on his wine bottles. He was a man of some influence in his community, having held at various times the positions of justice of Westmoreland County Court, captain in the county militia, sheriff of Westmoreland County, and a vestryman of his church. He was part-owner of two iron-furnaces—Accokeek in Virginia and Principio in Maryland—and was financially able to visit England on two occassions to deal directly with his partners. He owned land and buildings in 3 Virginia counties and was master of at least 49 slaves. Though not as wealthy as certain other planters in the Northern Neck (the tidewater counties lying between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers), he was a man of good social standing.
Photocopy of the signature of Augustine Washington, father of George. From Westmoreland Court Orders, 1731-39.
Jane Butler Washington did not enjoy the new Popes Creek home many years, for in 1729 (when only 30) she died, leaving Augustine with the care of the 3 children. Lawrence, the eldest, was only 11.
SECOND MARRIAGE.
Sixteen months after Jane’s death, Augustine married another young lady from the Northern Neck, Mary Ball, on March 6, 1731. Mary was born at “Epping Forest” in Lancaster County, and was left an orphan at the age of 12. Between that time and the day of her marriage to Augustine Washington (when she was 23) she had lived with two prominent Westmoreland County families—the George Eskridges and the Samuel Bonums. George Eskridge, a kindly guardian, was like a real father to Mary and it is believed that she later named her first-born child after him.
Following her marriage to Augustine, Mary moved to his Popes Creek home where his 3 children were in need of their new mother. She soon gained the respect of her stepchildren—Lawrence 13, Augustine 12, and Jane about 9. Accustomed to farm life, Mary quickly assumed her new duties as mistress and manager of the household, and time passed quickly for her.